The Food That Helps You Lose Weight

What you need to eat more of to drop serious pounds

Chances are you celebrated your last birthday with an unwelcome party crasher: An extra pound...or five. The body’s metabolism naturally slows when people hit their 40s. Couple that with a drop in physical activity, unchecked stress, and perhaps less-than-stellar eating habits and you’ve got the formula for creeping weight gain.

While there’s no magic trick for keeping the pounds off, researchers from Harvard showed an association between women who eat more fiber and lower body weight. It may be because fiber-rich foods like whole grains, fruit, vegetables, and legumes help you fill up, making you less likely to overeat. Because the stomach digests fiber-full foods at a slower pace, you’re also less likely to reach for unhealthy snacks between meals. While the mechanism for this association is unclear, it makes good sense to incorporate more high fiber foods into eating occasions throughout the day.

Here are a few simple ways to add more fiber to every meal. Aim for 21 to 38 grams each day.

BreakfastChoose a cereal that is a good source of fiber (3 g) and top it with fresh blackberries ( 4g of fiber per 1/2 cup).

LunchBuild a sandwich starting with a whole grain bread like rye (2 g of fiber per slice). Instead of mayo, try a hummus spread 2 Tbsp has 8% of your daily fiber needs). And add fresh vegetable toppings, like lettuce and tomato.

SnackNosh on popcorn (3.5 g of fiber per 3 cup serving) or almonds (3.5 g of fiber per ounce, or about 23 almonds), with slices of pear (5 to 6 g of fiber with skin).

DinnerMake a big pot of whole wheat spaghetti or other whole grain pasta (about 6 g of fiber per cup) and serve it with steamed broccoli (5.1 g of fiber per cup). Tip: Steam the broccoli just until crisp-tender; the longer vegetables cook the more nutrients they lose.